Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston catches the ball in the fourth quarter as Atlanta Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes throws him to the ground Monday night at the Superdome. Colston finished with six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown.When it came to Brees connecting with wide receiver Marques Colston, all Brees needed to do was get the ball high in the air. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Colston was able to do the rest, twice leaping high into the air to haul in pivotal receptions during the Saints 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in front of a sellout crowd at the Superdome.

Colston, who caught six passes 85 yards and a touchdown, made two of the biggest plays of the game.

With the Saints trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter, Colston outleaped cornerback Tye Hill for an 18-yard touchdown reception, tying the score at 14.

Colston also had an impressive catch on the Saints' game-sealing fourth-quarter drive, again jumping high for a 29-yard reception. The reception helped setup Pierre Thomas' 1-yard touchdown pass from Brees that put the Saints ahead 35-24 with 3:09 remaining.

INJURY UPDATE: The Saints nearly escaped relatively injury free.

But with 1:37 remaining, starting center Jonathan Goodwin was helped off the field with a knee contusion.

New Orleans also had a couple of scares on a second-quarter drive when starting cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer left with injuries.

Porter suffered an apparent stinger when teammate Darren Sharper hit him while trying to bring down receiver Roddy White. Three plays later, Greer left with an apparent lower leg injury.

Carney was signed during the preseason after it was made public Saints incumbent kicker Garrett Hartley would be suspended for the first four regular-season games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Hartley, who was 13-of-13 on field goals last season, has been inactive in each game since his return.

ELLIS OUT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS: Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who sprained his medial collateral ligament during the Saints' win over the Dolphins last week, is expected to miss four to six weeks, according to a report by ESPN.

The Saints would not confirm the report, however.

According to the report, surgery is not planned for Ellis, who started each of the first six games, totaling 15 tackles and a sack.

INACTIVES: New Orleans strongside linebacker Scott Fujita (strained left calf) and Ellis were among the players inactive for Monday's nationally televised NFC South showdown.

TICKET UPDATE: Unlike the last home game against the Giants when Saints game day officials said they had problems with fans trying to enter the Superdome with counterfeit tickets, there wasn't much of a problem for the Atlanta game.

Michael Stanfield, the Saints' vice president of tickets and suites sales, said there was one case of someone trying to enter the game with a fake ticket.

Still the game was a hot ticket, as fans paid a premium to get inside.

Tickets from online brokers and on the black market were selling briskly in the hours leading up to the game, with the prices ranging from $100 to $2,000.

QUICK HITS: Monday night's game marked the first time this season the Saints did not receive the opening kickoff. The Falcons won the coin toss and elected to receive. . . . Jo-Lonn Dunbar started at strongside linebacker, his first start of the season. . . . Defensive end Will Smith had two sacks against the Falcons, pushing his total for the season to four. . . . Among the celebrities in attendance was Grammy Award winning musician Lenny Kravitz, who stuck around after performing Sunday at the Voodoo Festival.